Monday Devo
Scripture:
1 Samuel 13:1–14
Continued War with Philistia
13 Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned for forty-two years.
2 Saul selected 3,000 special troops from the army of Israel and sent the rest of the men home. He took 2,000 of the chosen men with him to Micmash and the hill country of Bethel. The other 1,000 went with Saul’s son Jonathan to Gibeah in the land of Benjamin.
3 Soon after this, Jonathan attacked and defeated the garrison of Philistines at Geba. The news spread quickly among the Philistines. So Saul blew the ram’s horn throughout the land, saying, “Hebrews, hear this! Rise up in revolt!” 4 All Israel heard the news that Saul had destroyed the Philistine garrison at Geba and that the Philistines now hated the Israelites more than ever. So the entire Israelite army was summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.
5 The Philistines mustered a mighty army of 3,000 chariots, 6,000 charioteers, and as many warriors as the grains of sand on the seashore! They camped at Micmash east of Beth-aven. 6 The men of Israel saw what a tight spot they were in; and because they were hard pressed by the enemy, they tried to hide in caves, thickets, rocks, holes, and cisterns. 7 Some of them crossed the Jordan River and escaped into the land of Gad and Gilead.
Saul’s Disobedience and Samuel’s Rebuke
Meanwhile, Saul stayed at Gilgal, and his men were trembling with fear. 8 Saul waited there seven days for Samuel, as Samuel had instructed him earlier, but Samuel still didn’t come. Saul realized that his troops were rapidly slipping away. 9 So he demanded, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings!” And Saul sacrificed the burnt offering himself.
10 Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet and welcome him, 11 but Samuel said, “What is this you have done?”
Saul replied, “I saw my men scattering from me, and you didn’t arrive when you said you would, and the Philistines are at Micmash ready for battle. 12 So I said, ‘The Philistines are ready to march against us at Gilgal, and I haven’t even asked for the Lord’s help!’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering myself before you came.”
13 “How foolish!” Samuel exclaimed. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. Had you kept it, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”
Continued War with Philistia
13 Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned for forty-two years.
2 Saul selected 3,000 special troops from the army of Israel and sent the rest of the men home. He took 2,000 of the chosen men with him to Micmash and the hill country of Bethel. The other 1,000 went with Saul’s son Jonathan to Gibeah in the land of Benjamin.
3 Soon after this, Jonathan attacked and defeated the garrison of Philistines at Geba. The news spread quickly among the Philistines. So Saul blew the ram’s horn throughout the land, saying, “Hebrews, hear this! Rise up in revolt!” 4 All Israel heard the news that Saul had destroyed the Philistine garrison at Geba and that the Philistines now hated the Israelites more than ever. So the entire Israelite army was summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.
5 The Philistines mustered a mighty army of 3,000 chariots, 6,000 charioteers, and as many warriors as the grains of sand on the seashore! They camped at Micmash east of Beth-aven. 6 The men of Israel saw what a tight spot they were in; and because they were hard pressed by the enemy, they tried to hide in caves, thickets, rocks, holes, and cisterns. 7 Some of them crossed the Jordan River and escaped into the land of Gad and Gilead.
Saul’s Disobedience and Samuel’s Rebuke
Meanwhile, Saul stayed at Gilgal, and his men were trembling with fear. 8 Saul waited there seven days for Samuel, as Samuel had instructed him earlier, but Samuel still didn’t come. Saul realized that his troops were rapidly slipping away. 9 So he demanded, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings!” And Saul sacrificed the burnt offering himself.
10 Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet and welcome him, 11 but Samuel said, “What is this you have done?”
Saul replied, “I saw my men scattering from me, and you didn’t arrive when you said you would, and the Philistines are at Micmash ready for battle. 12 So I said, ‘The Philistines are ready to march against us at Gilgal, and I haven’t even asked for the Lord’s help!’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering myself before you came.”
13 “How foolish!” Samuel exclaimed. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. Had you kept it, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”
Commentary:
8–10. He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel: the reference can hardly be to 1 Samuel 10:8, but presupposes a similar instruction given for this occasion also; maybe Samuel undertook always to come within seven days in any time of crisis. Jonathan had not been bound by any such commitment when he raided Geba, perhaps because that was not full-scale war.
Saul knows he must soon make a move if the whole army is not to desert, and he is on edge as he impatiently waits for Samuel to offer the sacrifices that preceded battle, and demonstrated Israel’s dependence on the Lord. It was a test case. When Samuel did not appear, Saul took matters into his own hands and offered the burnt offering. No sooner had he done so than Samuel arrived, only to be greeted by Saul as if nothing had happened. Either Saul was insensitive on spiritual issues, or he was bold-faced, for, by his disobedience, he was challenging Samuel’s spiritual authority and therefore that of the Lord, whose prophet Samuel was.
Joyce G. Baldwin, 1 and 2 Samuel: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 8, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988), 112–13.
Saul knows he must soon make a move if the whole army is not to desert, and he is on edge as he impatiently waits for Samuel to offer the sacrifices that preceded battle, and demonstrated Israel’s dependence on the Lord. It was a test case. When Samuel did not appear, Saul took matters into his own hands and offered the burnt offering. No sooner had he done so than Samuel arrived, only to be greeted by Saul as if nothing had happened. Either Saul was insensitive on spiritual issues, or he was bold-faced, for, by his disobedience, he was challenging Samuel’s spiritual authority and therefore that of the Lord, whose prophet Samuel was.
Joyce G. Baldwin, 1 and 2 Samuel: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 8, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988), 112–13.
Questions:
Imagine watching your army disappear while an enemy force gathers nearby. Your soldiers are terrified, the situation is getting worse, and the person you were counting on hasn't arrived. Every minute that passes makes waiting feel more foolish. What would you do?
That was Saul's situation. So, he decided to offer the burnt sacrifice himself, crossing a boundary God had established. When Samuel arrived and confronted him, Saul had an explanation for everything. His soldiers were leaving. The Philistines were ready to attack. Samuel hadn't shown up when expected. Saul said he felt compelled to act. His circumstances were difficult, but instead of admitting that fear had led him to disobey, he used those circumstances to defend his decision.
When God isn't answering how we expect him to, we can become impatient and start trying to make things happen ourselves. We may pray harder or make promises to God because we hope that if we do enough, He'll give us the outcome we want, but faith isn't a way to control God and it isn't a formula that guarantees the answer we're looking for. Faith means trusting who God is, even when we don't understand what He's doing or when He will act. Fear says we have to make something happen, RIGHT NOW! Faith allows us to obey God and wait.
Jesus showed us what that kind of trust looks like in Gethsemane. Facing the cross, He was in anguish before God and asked the Father to take the cup away, but He surrendered to the Father's will rather than turning away from the path set before Him.
Waiting on God doesn't mean we sit around and do nothing. Waiting should push us to pray, seek wise counsel, take responsibility for what God has placed in front of us, and make decisions grounded in Scripture. But we don't have to cross boundaries or compromise obedience just because we're afraid of what might happen if we wait.
That was Saul's situation. So, he decided to offer the burnt sacrifice himself, crossing a boundary God had established. When Samuel arrived and confronted him, Saul had an explanation for everything. His soldiers were leaving. The Philistines were ready to attack. Samuel hadn't shown up when expected. Saul said he felt compelled to act. His circumstances were difficult, but instead of admitting that fear had led him to disobey, he used those circumstances to defend his decision.
When God isn't answering how we expect him to, we can become impatient and start trying to make things happen ourselves. We may pray harder or make promises to God because we hope that if we do enough, He'll give us the outcome we want, but faith isn't a way to control God and it isn't a formula that guarantees the answer we're looking for. Faith means trusting who God is, even when we don't understand what He's doing or when He will act. Fear says we have to make something happen, RIGHT NOW! Faith allows us to obey God and wait.
Jesus showed us what that kind of trust looks like in Gethsemane. Facing the cross, He was in anguish before God and asked the Father to take the cup away, but He surrendered to the Father's will rather than turning away from the path set before Him.
Waiting on God doesn't mean we sit around and do nothing. Waiting should push us to pray, seek wise counsel, take responsibility for what God has placed in front of us, and make decisions grounded in Scripture. But we don't have to cross boundaries or compromise obedience just because we're afraid of what might happen if we wait.
- Think of a time recently when you felt pressure to make something happen quickly. What did you fear would happen if you waited, and did that fear lead you to make a choice you later had to justify? What did you prioritize in that moment: obeying what you knew was right or getting the outcome you wanted?
- Saul used a religious act to try to secure God's help, while Jesus surrendered to the Father's will in Gethsemane. When God hasn't answered the way or when you hoped, have you ever tried to bargain with Him, make promises, or rely on your own efforts to get the result you want? How does Jesus' example challenge the way you approach God when obedience is costly?
- Where are you currently trying to force an outcome instead of faithfully following God? Identify the specific action, conversation, or decision where you need to stop taking control or stop justifying a shortcut.
Prayer Topics:
- Confess the times fear and urgency have led you to justify choices instead of trusting God and obeying His Word.
- Thank Jesus for showing us what it means to trust the Father through uncertainty and suffering.
- Ask God for the courage to resist shortcuts and remain faithful when His timing is different from yours.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to help you recognize when you're trying to control an outcome and choose obedience instead.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
7. How can I trust that the Bible is still God’s Word today? I trust the Bible is still God’s Word today because Jesus rose from the dead, proving He was God and said His words would never pass away. Through the Holy Spirit, God inspired the writing of the Scripture, determined the canon of Scripture and protected the copying of Scripture so that we might know Him and worship Him to this day.
(Matthew 24:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Revelation 22:18-19)
(Matthew 24:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Revelation 22:18-19)
No Comments